Vote Now! Top Space Stories of the Week - Jan. 29, 2012

Moving to the Moon, Meteorites in Antarctica and Claims og Life on Venus

NASA Ames/UC Santa Cruz

Colonies on the moon, meteorites in Antarctica and a bus-sized asteroid are just a few of several big stories in space for the week.

Take a look back at the biggest space stories last week , and vote now for your favorite of the bunch!

FIRST STOP: Hundreds of Meteorites Uncovered in Antarctica

Hundreds of Meteorites Uncovered in Antarctica

ANSMET

A gang of heavily insulated scientists has wrapped up its Antarctic expedition, with its members thawing out from the experience, but pleased to have bagged more than 300 space rocks. [Full Story]

NEXT: Russian Scientist's Claim of Life on Venus Proven False

Russian Scientist's Claim of Life on Venus Proven False

Leonid Ksanfomaliti/ Solar System Research

A respected Russian scientist claims to have found signs of life on Venus in photographs taken by a Soviet probe 30 years ago. However, outside analysis suggests he is breathing life into an assortment of camera lens covers and image blurs. [Full Story]

NEXT: Huge Solar Eruption Sparks Strongest Radiation Storm in 7 Years

Huge Solar Eruption Sparks Strongest Radiation Storm in 7 Years

NASA/SDO and the AIA Consortium/Edited by J. Major

A solar eruption is expected to blast a stream of charged particles toward Earth tomorrow (Jan. 24), as the strongest radiation storm since 2005 rages on the sun. [Full Story]

NEXT: 'Amazing' Mars Rover Opportunity Begins Year 9 on Red Planet

'Amazing' Mars Rover Opportunity Begins Year 9 on Red Planet

NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell/Arizona State Univ.

NASA's Opportunity rover landed on Mars 8 years ago today, and it's still going strong. Scientists are looking forward to the rover's Year 9 on the Red Planet. [Full Story]

NEXT: Gingrich Space Plan Promises the Moon, Literally: Lunar Base by 2020

Gingrich Space Plan Promises the Moon, Literally: Lunar Base by 2020

NASA

The United States will have a permanent manned colony on the moon by 2020 if Newt Gingrich is in charge, the Republican presidential hopeful announced today (Jan. 25). [Full Story]

NEXT: NASA Honors Fallen Astronauts in Solemn Ceremony

NASA Honors Fallen Astronauts in Solemn Ceremony

NASA/Bill Ingalls

This week, NASA is paying tribute to fallen astronauts who lost their lives in the pursuit of space exploration by holding a remembrance ceremony today (Jan. 26) at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. [Full Story]

NEXT: NASA Telescope Discovers 26 Alien Planets Around 11 Different Stars

NASA Telescope Discovers 26 Alien Planets Around 11 Different Stars

NASA Ames/UC Santa Cruz

NASA's prolific planet-hunting spacecraft has hit the jackpot again, discovering 11 new planetary systems that are home to 26 confirmed alien planets. [Full Story]

NEXT: Bus-Size Asteroid Buzzes Earth in Close Flyby

Bus-Size Asteroid Buzzes Earth in Close Flyby

NASA/JPL-Caltech

A small asteroid the size of a city bus zoomed between Earth and the moon's orbit Friday (Jan. 25) just days after its discovery, but it never posed a threat to our planet, NASA says. [Full Story]

NEXT: Sun Unleashes Strongest Flare Yet of 2012

Sun Unleashes Strongest Flare Yet of 2012

NASA/SDO

A massive solar flare — the strongest one so far this year — erupted today (Jan. 27) from the same active region of the sun that triggered a raging solar tempest earlier this week. [Full Story]

NEXT: GOP Presidential Candidates: Where They Stand on Space

GOP Presidential Candidates: Where They Stand on Space

NASA

Where the four remaining candidates for the Republican presidential nomination stand on NASA and American space policy, as gleaned by their words in recent debates. [Full Story]

NEXT: Declassified Cold War Spy Satellites Land in Ohio

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Space.com Staff
News and editorial team

Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.